While everyone’s got a case of the Space Crazies thanks to the latest Star Wars spin-off news, we figured we might as well pass along the latest casting rumor for Star Wars Episode VII. Word has it that John Noble (Fringe) is circling a role as a villain in the J.J. Abrams-directed picture that will kick-start a new trilogy. This rumor was started by an Australian morning radio DJ in Melbourne with “a reliable source.” Good enough for me! Noble has the skills (and the jowls) to pull off a convincing hooded Sith lord or scheming member of the Senate and has an Abrams connection through Fringe, but I think we’ll wait to hear from a more reliable source.

In other news, hit the jump to see some scrapped concept art for a young Han Solo who was intended to appear in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.

The villain rumor comes courtesy of CBM. While your imagination runs wild with the possibilities of John Noble doing his Star Wars version of Walternate, take a gander at these bits of concept art for a young Han Solo. The character was originally intended to have a brief appearance and one line of dialogue in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,but the idea was scrapped. Here’s what you could have heard:

HAN SOLO
I found part of a transmitter droid near the east bay… I think it’s still sending and receiving signals.

YODA
Good. Good. Track this we can back to the source. Find General Grievous, we might…

The character was expected to be about ten years old at the time, but we can bet on Solo being in his teens or twenties for the rumored spin-off. The images of the younger version of the smuggler follow below (via /Film):

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